Process of and means for magnetically controlling welding arcs



March 29, 1932. L. ANDREN ET AL PROCESS OF AND MEANS FOR MAGNETICALLY CONTROLLING WELDING ARCS Filed Dec. 21, 1928 I'll-Illlull Illlll INVENTQR L, flnarerz and fferson Y F N R O T T A l atented Mar. 29, 1932 UNITED STATES anna PATENT OFF-ICE LENNART ANDREN AND ROBERT PATTERSON, F BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, 1A8- SIGNOES TO AMERICAN CHAIN COMPANY, ING., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK PROCESS OF AND MEANS FOR MAGNETIOALLY CONTROLLING WELDING ARCS Application filed December 21, 1928. Serial No. 327,519.

The present invention relates to welding by the aid of electric current in which an arc is struck between a metallic electrode and the work to be welded, and metal from the 5 electrode is deposited upon the work to form the weld.

It is a well known fact that an essential feature in successfully carrying out this method of welding, is to maintain the condiw tions in the electric are constant. The conditions principally influencing the successively weldin operations are, generally speaking, in the rst place, the length of theme, and secondly, the steadiness of the arc. In hand .1 welding, i. e., welding in which a portable apparatus is employed and the welding electrode is guided by hand over the work, the length of the arc may be satisfactorily controlled by a skilled operator. Also in machine work, i. e., welding in which the feed of the electrodeis mechanically controlled, the length'of the arc may be regulated with even more certainty than in hand welding. However, the other condition above referred to,

2B namely, that of maintaining a steady arc, offers a serious problem not only in hand welding but to an even greater extent in machine welding. The steadiness of the arc is a function of certain specific characteristics of the metal electrode and also of a'number of other phenomena occurring in and around the arc. In hand welding, an operator who has had long training and has acquired considerable skill, may control the steadiness of the arc with a considerable degree of success, but in machine welding, it is well nigh impossible to introduce those slight 'varia tions infthe conditions of the are which in hand weldingare automatically performed in response to reactions of the subconscious mind and the training of the operator.

Machine weldingis used welding joints of considera le length and plain deslgn, such, for instance, as the seams in tanks andthe like. It is evident that the steadiness of thearc is an essential factor in such. work and if the arc is frequently extinguished, the weld will be unsound and unsafe and time will be lost in the welding op- W eration.

rincipally for T't'is an object, therefore, of the present inventi on to provide a means for and method of stabilizing an are against disturbing infiuences, which means and method will be applicable not only to machine welding but also to hand Welding.

It has been found that the unsteadiness of a welding arc is to a very large extent caused by uncontrollable magnetic fluxes developed by thewelding current in the metal masses of the apparatus and the work to be welded. And it is an object of our invention to exclude the disturbing action of such magnetic fluxes by surrounding the arc with 'ashield of controlled magnetic fiux.

We are aware that the prior patent art discloses the idea of using magnetic flux in con- .nection with welding arcs. In one of these patents, the magnetic flux is generated in the welding arc itself for the avowed purpose or" 70 directing the stream ofmolten metal from the rod to the work. Another patent deals with a carbon welding arc and in this case too, magnetic fiux' is fed into the arc itself. We do not know of any case inwhich the magnetic flux has been employed as a; shield for the are instead of passing through the are itself. Our experience has shown that it is highly undesirable to introduce magnetic flux into the-arc as this merely increases the unsteadiness of the arc. To properly stabilize the arc, the flux must form a cylmdrical shield about the are which will react on the flux generated by the arc itself with the result that the arc tends to remain centered within the cylindrical shield.

The accompanying drawing illustrates our invention somewhat diagrammatically showing a portion of a welding machine joining two pieces of work and showing also the elecvtrical connections employed for generating I the controlled magnetic flux.-

In the drawing, the workiis represented? 1 by two pieces of metal 1 and 2'whic'h are to be welded together. -The' welding electrode sides of the rod. The mechanism for oper- 100 consists of a metal rod 3 which passes through than stabilizing, and it is only by surround-- ill '- part of the present invention and consequent- 1y is not illustrated.

The nozzle 4 is made of brass or of some other non-magnetic material. Surrounding the nozzle 4 is a shell '7 of iron .or other highly paramagnetic material. Fitted over the shell 7 is a sleeve 8 of asbestos or other sultable material which will serve as an insulator against heat and electric current. Fitted about the asbestos sleeve is a ring 9 of copper or other suitable electrically conductive material. This ring is split and is clamped about the sleeve 8 by a bolt 9'. However, the rings ends are insulated from each other and are formed with terminal members 10' and 11. The split ring 9 constitutes a coil of one turn about the shell 7 so that current passing through the ring will generate magnetic flux in the shell.

Secured to the stem 12 of the nozzle 4 is a contact block 13. Current for the arc to be struck between the electrode 3 'andthe where it divides, part of it passing around the coil 9 before reaching the'contact block 13. Thence, the current flows through the nozzle 4 and rod 3 and maintains an are between the end of the rod 3 and the work, thecircuit being completed through wire 16 to the opposite pole of the generator. The currdnt which I passes through the ring 9 generates magnetic flux which flows through the shell 7 and thence jum sfrom the shell tothe work in the form 0 a cylinder surrounding the arc.

- This cylinder of fluxserves tosteady the arc,

and protect it from outside influences. The flux supplied to the cylinder 7 is constant and serves as a stabilizer reacting on the flux generated by the arc itself and centering the arc. 5o

It is to be noted that because the shell '7 1s highly paramagnetic, the flux generated by the coil 9 is largely confined to the shell. This IS an important feature of our invention as it has been found that flux-introduced directly into the arc is apt to be disturbing rather ing the arc with a shield of magnetic flux that the arc may be kept steady.

It will be obvious that the invention described above will be applicable to hand operated ap aratus as well as to automatic weld-. ing mac ines and semi-automatic. Also, that variations ma be made in the number of turns 1n the coil 9 as well as 1n various details of constructions, and we consider ourselves at liberty to make such changes and modifications of construction and arrangements of parts as fall within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

We claim: y

' 1-. Ina process of metallic arc welding, the steps which consist in connecting a' metallic welding rod to one pole of a source of elec trical energy and the work to be welded to the other pole, striking an are between the rod and the work, feeding the rod toward the work, and generating a cylinder of magnetic flux surrounding but spaced from the are.

2." In a process of stabilizing a metallic welding aijc, the, step which consists in generating a substantially cylindrical shield of metallic flux surrounding but spaced from the arc.

3. In a process of metallic arc welding, the steps which consist in connecting a metallic welding rod to one pole of a source of electrical energy and the work to be welded to the other pole, striking an are between the rod and the work, feeding the rodtoward the work, employing a fractional part of the energy fed to the arc to generate magnetic flux, and confining said flux-largely within a cylindrical path surrounding but spaced from the rod, whereby the flux will form a shield surrounding the arc.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, a nozzle of a non-magnetic material through which a metallic welding rod is adapted to be fed to maintain-an arc, and a magnet surrounding the nozzle and extending to the immediate proximity of the arc. v

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a nozzle of non-magnetic material through which a metallic welding rod is adapted to be fed, a shell of highly paramagnetic material surrounding the nozzle and a coil about theshell but electrically insulated therefrom.

6. In, an apparatus'of thecharacter described,=--a nozzle of non-magnetic material through which a metallic welding rod is adapted to be fed, a shell of highly paramagnetic material surrounding the nozzle, a coil about the shell and electrical and thermal insulation between the coil and the shell.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, a nozzle ofnon-magnetic. material through which a metallic welding rod is adapted to be fed, a shell of highly paramagnetic material surrounding the nozzle, a coil about the shell and a sleeve ofasbestos fitted between the shell and the coil. 4

In witness whereof we have signed this LENNART ANDREN. ROBERT PATTERSON.

specification. 

